A Seymour man is facing 20 charges of fraud and theft after incidents with someone else’s credit cards and checks.

According to Seymour Police Department reports the incidents began on July 1st, when a victim was told by a man that the victim’s grandson needed $110 to get bailed out of jail. Police say the victim drove the suspect to a bank, and wrote a check for the amount. But the man soon came back saying that the check wasn’t accepted, and demanded a second check. After cashing the second check, the victim drove the suspect to a local store, supposedly to meet the grandson’s wife to get some needed paperwork.

But the suspect never came back from the store. The next day the victim noticed several fraudulent transactions on a credit card made at a local store. The victim contacted police, who pulled video footage from the store. Police also found out that the bank rejected the first check because it appeared to have been altered by the suspect before attempting to cash it. And the victim’s grandson was not eligible to be bonded out of jail, in any case.

Last week, police searched a home on Idlewood Court and discovered most of the items that were fraudulently purchased at the store.

On July 11th, police arrested 29-year-old Preston D.M. Redmond of Seymour on 10 felony counts of fraud and 10 felony counts of theft.

A reminder that Ivy Tech Community College Columbus Campus will be hosting an event tomorrow to help new students sign up for classes.

The enrollment and registration event will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at Moravec Hall on the Columbus AirPark Campus.

During the event, incoming students will be able to complete an application, begin enrollment steps, receive assistance with financial aid, learn about academic programs, and more.

Fall classes begin August 22nd.

You can RSVP for the enrollment event here.

Legal Aid is announcing several upcoming in-person clinics where residents can get help and advice from a volunteer attorney

There will be a free walk in clinic for Jennings County from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the library and in Bartholomew County there will be a walk-in clinic on Tuesday, July 26th, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Legal Aid offices in the Doug Otto United Way Center on 13th Street in Columbus.

Areas to the north and east of us are seeing high water after up to 9 inches of rain fell in some areas of central and southern Indiana yesterday.

Flood warnings are in effect this morning for areas stretching from Muncie to Indianapolis. The National Weather Service says the heavy rain will lead to flooding along
the White River from Anderson to Ravenswood. Other creeks and lowlands in the area have also risen and caused flooding issues. Minor to moderate flooding is forecast.

A flood watch is also in effect in southeastern Indiana and parts of Kentucky and Ohio. That includes Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland and Ripley counties until 8 a.m. this morning. Forecasters say excessive runoff may result in flash flooding.

Authorities in Greenwood say a shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall Sunday was stopped by a Bartholomew County man who returned fire, killing the suspect.

Four people died in yesterday’s shooting, including the shooter and two people were wounded.

Greenwood’s police chief Chief Jim Ison, in a late Sunday press conference outside the mall, said the quick thinking of a 22-year-old from Bartholomew County who was willing to take a human life to save others made that person the real hero.

“The real hero of the day is the citizen who was lawfully carrying a firearm in that food court, and was able to stop the shooter almost as soon as he began,” said Ison.

Police had not released any identifying information on the shooter, and they did not identify the person who killed the shooter.

Ison says the gunman was armed with a rifle and several magazines. Two people were wounded by gunfire, including a 12-year-old girl who apparently suffered a graze wound. The girl was treated and released. Ison says the other victim is hospitalized in stable condition.

Other than the 12-year-old, Ison says the victims range in age from their early 20s to 30.

Ison isn’t confirming reports that an argument had broken out before the shooting. He does say police have reviewed some surveillance video.

Ison says police arrived at the mall quickly, with Greenwood and Indianapolis SWAT units joined by state troopers, sheriff’s deputies, and F-B-I and A-T-F agents.

Ison says he believes preparedness is what helped save lives during Sunday’s shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall food court.

“We train for it. Matter of fact a few years back we had one of the largest coordinated exercises with the FBI and other local metropolitan area agencies for this exact situation,” saide the mall where four people died, including the shooters, and three people were hurt.

“We have done multiple mall exercises with local law enforcement for active shooters. We train annually,” he said. “Our officers responded the way they should have, very quickly.” Ison also credited Indianapolis Metro Police for their quick response in assisting Greenwood PD.

Story courtesy of Network Indiana.

Deputies recovered a stolen truck and license plate after an incident yesterday morning in Columbus.

According to reports from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, a deputy noticed the driver of a pickup truck who appeared nervous and hiding his face from police at just before 8 yesterday morning at 10th Street and National Road. A check of the license plate revealed that the plate had been stolen in the county.

The deputy tried to pull the vehicle over, but instead the driver fled through a store parking lot and through southeastern Columbus, including driving through a bean field and onto the sidewalk. At Gladstone and McKinley avenues the drive jumped out and ran away,

leaving the truck in gear, which then rolled into a fence, causing minor damage.

The driver was captured a short distance away. The investigation revealed that no only was the plate stolen, but the truck had been stolen from Johnson County. The driver, 27-year-old Dominique Nichols of Columbus, was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to be checked out, after swallowing methamphetamine, police say.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement in a vehicle, resisting law enforcement on foot, leaving the scene of an accident, theft of a vehicle, theft of a license plate and reckless driving.

Foundation for Youth will be holding its first ever Twilight Gala on Saturday evening.

The event features an outdoor dance with a woodland fairy theme including twinkling lights strung through the trees. It is geared for children ages 2-12 and their families. Children should be accompanied by an adult.

Previously the event was known as the Royal Ball & Princess Ball.

It will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday night at FFY, 405 Hope Avenue.

This event is free but organizers ask you to register on the web at foundationforyouth.com.

Legal Aid is announcing several upcoming in-person clinics where residents can get help and advice from a volunteer attorney.

Legal Aid offers the clinics for low-income residents of its eight-county district.

If you take part you will have up to a 10-minute consultation with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or to receive other advice.

Legal Aid is hosting a free legal walk in clinic for Jennings County from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 19th, at the Jennings County Public Library. On Wednesday, there will be a walk-in clinic in Shelby County from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Stephenson Rife Law Firm.

In Bartholomew County there will be a walk-in clinic on Tueday, July 26th, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Legal Aid offices in the Doug Otto United Way Center on 13th Street in Columbus.

Legal Aid will also continue to hold phone clinics for the region, with the next scheduled on Tuesday, Aug. 9th.

Columbus Animal Care Services is announcing that it is canceling the Moonlight Loop Ride originally scheduled for July 30.

Organizers say that the event, held for the past seven years, is being canceled due to low registration and limited staff. The ride has raised more than $81,000 for the city-run animal shelter in years past.

Nicohl Birdwell-Goodin, director of the agency, says it wasn’t feasible to host the event and deliver the quality of event participants have enjoyed in the past.

Columbus Animal Care Services does operate off of city tax dollars and through fines/fees. However, the general operating budget only covers basics. The adoption/medical fund and other services to care for animals in the community do not use tax dollars, relying on donations.

If you would like a refund, you can contact Columbus Animal Care Services, however any fees not refunded will be considered a donation to the department. You can email [email protected] or call 812-376-2505.

Photo courtesy of City of Columbus.

Starting on Saturday, there will be a new three digit emergency number you can call to get help with mental health problems — 9-8-8.

Hoosiers and others around the country will be able to call 988 to connect to a trained crisis specialist, according to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.

According to the agency, 988 will offer a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. That could include thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress.

You can also dial 988 if you are worried about a friend or loved one who may need crisis support.

The agency announced that the service will be expanded in the future to include a response team and locations where people can go to get help. The agency says the work to complete the system is underway and will continue for 7 to 10 years.